Technology stocks helped lead the market higher in the past decade and there is no reason to think that they won't help lead stocks higher in the next decade. Technology continues to bring change, and right now it looks like the early innings of the next big technological wave with artificial intelligence (AI).

Bank of Montreal ( TSX:BMO) paid its first dividend in 1829 and has given shareholders a slice of the profits every year since that time.

Growth stocks represent shares of companies that are still in their development stages. Many of these businesses belong to fast-moving sectors, offering significant room to expand and evolve. HubSpot (HUBS) and Microsoft (MSFT) are two such growth stocks that Wall Street has assigned a “Strong Buy” rating.

Investing in solid companies in these fields could lead to outsized returns over the next decade and beyond. Two such growth stocks that look like excellent picks to buy this year and hold onto for a while are Shopify ( SHOP 0.